Turkey's Erdogan to be named candidate for AKP leadership on May 21: official

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan attends an interview with Reuters at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, April 25, 2017. REUTERS/Umit Bektas

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's ruling AK Party will name President Tayyip Erdogan as a candidate for its leadership at an extraordinary congress on May 21, a senior AKP official said on Thursday.

In an interview with Reuters on Tuesday, Erdogan said he would resume membership of the AKP immediately after the final results are announced of an April 16 referendum which granted him sweeping powers. But he said his position as party chairman would be decided by AKP officials.

The constitutional changes passed in the referendum allow the president, who will assume executive powers, to retain party political ties. Under the terms of the outgoing constitution, the head of state was supposed to remain politically impartial.